Folding table



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

N. SGHUMAOHER.

FOLDING TABLE No. 499,599. Patented June 13, 1-893.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. No Model.) N. MAOHER.

FOLDING TABLE. I w No. 499,599; I Patented June 13, 1893.

THE cams FETERQ co, mmouwmwunmmou. n. c.

v, UNITED STA ES PATENT OFFICE.

NICOLAS SCHUMACHER, OF LA MOTTE, IOWA.

FOLDING TABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 499,599, dated June13, 1893.

' Application filed December 24:, 1892. Serial No. 456,289. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NICOLAS SCHUMAOHER, (who have declared my intentionto become a citizen of the United States, but am now a citizen ofLuxemburg, Germany,) residing at La Motte, in the county of Jackson andState of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFolding Tables; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to folding tables which can be used for dining aswell as writing purposes and when not in usecan be packed into a verysmall space, and it consists in certain novel means for raising andlowering the leaves of the table, and holding them at any desiredposition; means for turning the legs inward and outward simultaneouslyand automatically in the operation of lowering and raising the leaves ofthe table; in certain novel constructions and arrangements of drawercompartments and in certain other novel constructions, combinations andarrangements of parts as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of myimproved table, the the legs being shown turnedinward in dotted lines.Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the table showing in full linesone leaf of the table raised, and the other lowered and also one of thedrawer compartments turned down and one of the feet turned outward; andby dotted lines one of the leaves raised and a drawer compartment turneddown and a foot turned outward. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section in lineww of Fig. 1 through the table below the leaves and looking upward, theleaves being up, and Fig. 4 is a similar section looking downward.

A in the drawings represents myimproved table which, as heretoforestated, may be used as a dining table for household and picnic purposesor a writing table, the construction being such as to readily adapt itfor both purposes.

B is a rectangular upright frame consisting of vertical side standards12, b to which the journaled legs having rigid, laterally swing- .aperson may be sitting.

ing feet are attached and also the vertically swinging leaves of thetable; a central vertical standard I) and horizontal upper and lowerconnecting bars b b the lower bar having movingly secured to it thedrawer compartments 0, C in a manner as will now be described.

One or both of the drawer compartments may be as represented by O whichis hinged or journaled at its lower end in suitable brackets c and isadapted to be swung up and down and drawn out transversely by means ofside guide rods 0' which pass through eyes on the sides of the drawerand are journaled at their lower ends in the brackets c and provided attheir upper or outer ends with stops 0 which preventthe drawer beingdrawn outward too far and becoming disconnected from the table. Byhaving the drawers 0 j ou'rnaled as shown they can be lowered and raisedfrom either side of the table, and by providing catches or buttons 0 oneach side of the upper horizontal bar 11 the drawers can be locked fromboth sides of the table. The drawers 0 are made with. removable tops andbottoms so that convenient access can be had to the interior of the sameno matter on which side of the table The drawerif not constructed asrepresented by 0 might be as shown by O'in which they are shown asjournaled at their rear edge at top and bottom so as to have a laterallyswinging movement and adapted to be operated from either side of thetable, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The central vertical standard I) isprovided with a notched guide D which consists of a metal strip or bar dsecured to the standard and extending practically the entire length ofthe same and formed with one or more notches d; and a strip or bar at?secured in front of said bar d at bottom and top with a space betweenthe two bars or strips which forms a guide way for the passage of asupport E secured on the under side of theleaf of the table in such amanner so as to have its free end move up and down in the guide as aleaf of the table is raised and lowered. A guide is placed on each sideof the vertical standard and the other leaf of the table similarlyconnected therewith. When a leaf is raised to the de sired plane, thefree end of the support E is placed in the proper notch and the leafheld and supported in that position. I have shown two notches, the upperone located at such a height that when the support is placed in the samethe top surfaces of the leaves of the table will be perfectly level andin a condition to be used for dining purposes; and when placed in thelower notch the surface of the table will be slightly inclined and canthen be conveniently used for writing purposes. A U shaped spring F issecured on the vertical standard just above the upper end of the guide Eand has a pressure upon the support E to hold it in one of the notchesof the guide. When it is desired to incline a leaf or lower it entirely,it is simply necessary to raise the free end of the support and pass itover the end of the notch and allow it to move down between the twostrips or bars (1, 01 and by reversing the operation the leaves of thetable can be raised and held in any position desired.

The legs G are journaled at top and bottom in brackets g, g on the sidestandards I), h and provided with transversely set rigid feet which aremoved inward and outward as the legs are turned. The legs are providednear their tops with curved hooking arms 9' and the under side of theleaves of the table near where they are hinged are provided withdownwardly projecting pieces 9 which are loosely socketed in base platesg while their lower ends are embraced by the curved arms g-. The turningof the feet inward and outward is done simultaneously and automaticallyas the leaves of the table are raised and E centrally arranged frame,hinged leaves prolowered. \Vhen one or both of the leaves are lowered,the downwardly extending pieces connected therewith will be alsolowered,and the leaf or leaves coming in contact with the curved armswill force them and the feet connected therewith inward; and in raisingthe leaves, the downwardly projecting pieces coming in contact with thecurved arms will force them and the feet'connected therewith outward.The feet are turned at such an angle that the table will stand steadilywhether one or both of the leaves are raised or lowered. Where the underside of the leaves come in contact with the upper curved portions of thelegs a suitable metal wear plate may be provided.

To prevent the feet being turned inward too far, suitable stops areprovided at the lower end of the vertical side standards I) b oftheframe B, as shown.

MV table'is simple in construction and operation, durable and when notin use can be folded into a small space for shipment or storing.

What I claim asmy invention 1s- 1. In a folding table, the combinationof a suitable, centrally located frame, a hinged leaf or leaves,legsjournaled on said frame and provided at their lower ends withlaterally proj ecting feet and at their upper ends with outwardlyextending arms, whereby when a leaf or leaves are lowered they willstrike the outwardly extending arms at the upper ends of the legs andforce the feet connected to the legs, inward, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a folding table, the combination of a centrally arranged frame,hinged leaves, downwardly and outwardly projecting bars secured to theunder side of the leaves of the table, legs journaled on the frame andprovided at their lower ends with laterally projecting feet and at theirupper ends with outwardly extending arms which engage the bars dependingfrom the under side of the table and are adapted to be struck by theleaves of the table in the act of lowering the same, whereby the feetare simultaneously and automatically turned inward, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a table provided with a hinged leaf and folding feet, thecombination of a centrally and vertically arranged stationary frame, anotched space guide vertically secured to said guide, a leaf supportattached by one of its ends to the under side of theleaf while its freeend engages said guide and is adapted to operate in the same, the guidebeing constructed of two fiat spaced bars, one of which is. providedwith notches; and a spring for holding the support in engagement with anotch, substantially as and for the purpose described.

l. In a folding table, the combination of a vided on their under sideswith supports, legs journaled on the frame and provided at their lowerends with laterally projecting feet and at their upper ends withoutwardly extending arms, the feet being adapted to be turned inward andoutward in the act of lowering and raising the leaves of the table, anda notched guide on the frame which is engaged by the support and adaptedto operate in the same, substantially as described.

5. A table provided with a centrally arcess had to the same from eitherside of the table and to be drawn outward by means of rods extendingalong and attached to the side of the drawer and forming at their lowerends journals for the drawer to swing upon, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

NICOLAS SOHUMACHER.

Witnesses:

MONROE M. CADY, A. HANAPEL.

too

' ranged frame to which a drawer compartment is journaled in such amanner as to be capable of being moved in and outward and ac-

